I try to do quick warm ups before I get started working on assigned stuff In order to loosen up a bit and shake the rust off. One thing I really like about the iPad is how random you can be with your process.

Traditional media can tend to dictate your process a bit, but with digital you can try weird shit out and there’s always an undo if it really goes south.

Even though I’ve been working on computers for over 20 years now (!!!)I think my brain still tends to default to traditional media terms, so these warm ups are often helpful to break out of that mindset a bit and try different methods and approaches.

I seldom take them further than the sketch phase, and I try to keep them light in terms of elements in order to still have some energy left for the actual assignment. These are Just quick little doodles exploring a thought or idea, usually not directly tied subject matter-wise to what I have to do for work, but maybe there will be an emphasis on a certain lighting set up, or types of edges that will help inform whatever I need (or want) to try to do.

I’ll work from imagination, life, or occasionally even photos I’ll find interesting. Every once in a while I’ll pull one off that’s a keeper, but more often than not they serve their purpose and I’m happy to move on. Here’s a selection of sketches that looking back now, I don’t hate.

and if you want to watch the process heres a movie of these and a few more:

https://youtu.be/1Ybv3KaJVpk

On a different note, check out these crazy eagle pics I took recently. We were staying out near the water, and this bald eagle lands right out on the beach! I had my camera but was still kind of far away, so didn’t bother at first because I figured it would fly off before I’d be able to get in range. But then I look out like 10-15 minutes later, and it’s still out there! So I grabbed my camera and ran down to the beach just in time to capture it grabbing something off of the beach. Probably a clam? Hard to tell but it’s a clammy area.

Hope you’re enjoying your summer!